Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

N ate ran a hand through his hair and watched with satisfaction as Corporal Conway walked to his car. Natty, a sweet German shepherd mix, trotted alongside him. If the way she kept looking at him were any indication, it would be the start of a beautiful friendship.

This was why he worked for Paws for a Cause. He was one of only three paid employees heading the non-profit organization that relied heavily on donations and volunteers. They all worked hard to train dogs who needed a second chance at a good home and match them with someone like a veteran or police officer who would benefit from the kind of therapy that only a furry companion could give.

When Corporal Conway first came in, he was hesitant and doubted that having a dog would help with anything at all. He'd only agreed to check it out at the insistence of his father.

But after three meetings where he and Natty were given time to interact, it was clear they were the perfect match. Corporal Conway said he was happy to be proven wrong.

Nate prayed that they'd be able to help each other heal from the wounds of their pasts.

He'd originally met Minnie through the program. The dog had brought him a great deal of joy, and not being home alone gave him the distraction he often needed to keep him from focusing on his last case before he left the police department.

Now, he enjoyed helping others find that same satisfaction and freedom.

Not for the first time, he thought about Bailey and how she would benefit from having a dog herself. It'd be good for the boys, too. Plus, it would provide an extra level of protection for all of them. Maybe one of these days, he'd be able to convince her to adopt one.

He headed home for the day. The moment he stepped through the front door, Minnie was there to greet him. Her docked tail wagged back and forth at top speed.

"Hey, girl. I missed you, too." He set his things down and joined her on the floor. "What do you think? Should we go for a walk? Or maybe play ball in the backyard?"

At the mention of ball, Minnie tilted her head to one side.

"Ball it is." He snatched a tennis ball from her box of toys and led the way outside. He'd only thrown it for her twice when his phone pinged with an incoming text.

Nate threw the ball across the yard and pulled his phone out. It was a group text that included him, Jenny, and Bailey.

"I got this in the mail today. "

The message was from Bailey. A moment later, another text came through with a photo of a type-written letter. Nate clicked the image and increased the magnification so he could read the words.

If Nate were to actually hold the paper in his hand, he'd have a difficult time not crumpling it up and tossing it to the ground. That realtors were asking Bailey to sell her place was bad enough, but how dare someone have the audacity to send her a letter like this?

Combine the letter with the vandalism, and he didn't feel at all comfortable about the situation. Besides, he'd spent some time looking into her property and the realtor who had bothered her at work.

He texted her back.

"I'll be right over."

His message barely went through when his phone pinged again with a response from Jenny.

"Don't handle it any more than necessary. I'll come get it and take it back to the station."

Bailey's only response was,

"Okay."

Minnie whined, her ball in her mouth and her eyes on Nate.

"Sorry, girl. I got distracted. How would you like to go play with Seth and Jordan? Where's your leash?"

The ball fell to the floor, completely forgotten, as she raced for the back door.

Nearly half an hour later, he put in the code to drive onto Thompson Family Farm. The sun was already beginning to set. Nate liked the cooling temperatures, but he didn't care for the shorter days that came with them.

He pulled into the driveway in front of Bailey's home to find that Jenny's patrol car was already there.

After getting out of his truck, he snapped a leash on Minnie and led her to the front door. It swung open before they'd reached it, and Bailey ushered them in.

Minnie's nub wagged double time as she greeted everyone. Seth and Jordan fawned all over her, and it wasn't clear whether they or the dog enjoyed it more. He took her leash off and kept an eye on her as the boys lavished her with pats and praise.

Jenny greeted Nate with a tight smile. "Hey, not that it isn't nice to see you more often, but we've got to stop meeting like this."

"Seriously." He looked to Bailey and offered her an encouraging smile.

Her brows were drawn, and the lines at the corners of her mouth deepened with the frown that quickly replaced the small smile she'd given him in return.

Jenny lifted a piece of paper that she'd slipped into a clear evidence bag. "I'll take it back and have the team check it for prints. Same with the envelope, especially the inside. Maybe they'll come up with something."

Bailey nodded, but she didn't look convinced. "I appreciate that." She glanced at her sons and lowered her voice. "I realize the letter is likely referencing the fact that if I don't accept the next offer, realtors won't stop bothering me, but it feels more sinister. As if I need to watch our backs."

Nate didn't care whether the threat was an empty one or not. It was messed up to send a letter like that to anyone. Especially considering that Bailey was a widow trying to raise two little boys on her own.

He'd love to get this person alone in a room and teach him or her some proper manners.

Jenny turned to Nate. "I already told Bailey that I need to run. I'm having dinner with my parents in about forty-five minutes." She made a face.

"Uh oh. I take it that's not a good thing?"

"It entirely depends on whether it's a nice, relaxing family meal or if my mom has taken it upon herself to find the love of my life and present him as a blind date."

Bailey put an arm around her friend's shoulder. "I'll be praying for you. Call if you need to talk about it. Or text if you need an escape."

Jenny chuckled. "Will do, and I just might take you up on that last one." She sobered. "I'll run this letter by the station first. Seriously, Bailey. Just be extra careful, and call if you're worried about anything. Okay?"

"I will. Thanks again for coming out here."

Jenny waved goodbye and left, closing the door behind her.

Bailey walked over and turned the deadbolt in place. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were filled with a combination of exhaustion and worry.

"I wish I knew why someone was doing this. And why now? It doesn't make any sense."

Nate wished he had the perfect thing to say to make her feel more at ease. "I dug into the realtor who came to the store yesterday. He's sold property for many people, but he tends to specialize in large pieces of real estate, and he's been known to locate property and sell it to the town of Destiny. "

Her brows rose as she pushed away from the door and motioned for him to follow her into the dining room. "Can I get you a Coke or Sprite?"

"I'll take a Sprite. Thank you." He waited until she'd handed a can to him and got one for herself. They sat down at the table where he could keep an eye on Minnie and make sure she wasn't getting too rowdy with the boys—or vice versa.

Nate took a sip of his soda. "Destiny has been growing a lot, and the city limits have been expanding steadily for a while. This area out here is probably the next to be transformed into residential property, and a place like yours could bring in a lot of money if it were sectioned off and sold as plots for developers. It could be that someone is trying to capitalize on that. Buy from you now when it would be cheaper and then sell when the land is in high demand in a few more years. Maybe even less."

It wasn't a bad business plan and one that he could respect if it were all done on the up-and-up. But sending a threatening letter to the owner in hopes of scaring her into selling was inexcusable. Of course, there was no proof that Mr. Driver had anything to do with the letter at all.

Bailey looked thoughtful, but she didn't say anything.

He picked up his can of soda. "If you remember the names of any of the realtors who've contacted you, please let me know. I'd like to check on their companies, too. It's also possible that there may be some mineral rights interests. If someone thinks there may be a good source of oil or something similar, they may be hoping to purchase the land specifically to sell the mineral rights to another company."

"How do we find out about that?"

"I'll do more digging."

"I appreciate it." Bailey took a long drink of her Sprite .

Minnie ran into the dining room and dove beneath the table, shaking his soda can along with the salt and pepper shakers.

Jordan squealed and started to duck under the table when Bailey reached out and snagged him by the arm. "I don't think so, mister. You're going to knock this table over and make a mess."

Nate snapped his fingers to get Minnie's attention. She crawled out again, a guilty look on her face, and came to sit by his chair. He might have laughed at the penitent look on her face if it wouldn't have taken away from Bailey's discussion with Jordan.

Seth stood nearby and watched the exchange while the younger boy's chin dropped.

"Sorry, Mama."

"I'm not angry. I just need you to be more careful." Bailey reached for her youngest son and gave him a reassuring hug.

"I will." He wiggled out of the hug and turned to look at Nate. "Can I still play with Minnie if we don't run?"

Nate glanced at Bailey, whose expression was open even though she looked exhausted.

"If it's okay with your mom, why don't you and Seth go watch some cartoons. If you sit on the floor by the couch, Minnie will come and sit with you. Then you can spend time together without getting too riled up. How does that sound?"

Jordan's eyes brightened. "Can we, Mama?"

Seth didn't say anything, but he looked hopeful.

"I think that's a great idea." Bailey held up her first and second fingers. "Two episodes. And then you need to start getting ready for your baths and bed."

"Yes, ma'am." The words barely left Seth's lips before he'd turned and walked as quickly as possible back into the living room. Jordan followed, and Minnie trotted after them.

Nate chuckled. "They could use a dog of their own. It'd be good for them."

When he looked over to see what she thought of the idea, he found her massaging her temples, her elbows resting on the table.

"Hey." Nate reached across the table and lightly touched her arm. "We're going to figure this out."

"There's just a lot. Trying to keep the store running while keeping track of the boys. Then there's wondering whether I should leave the farm as is, expand, or sell." When she raised her head and opened her eyes, there was no missing the guilt there. "I don't need someone threatening my family on top of it."

Her chin quivered slightly as tears filled her eyes. She blinked them back as though her very survival depended on not allowing a single one to fall.